Moe’s Southwest Grill is a brand with a well-earned reputation for all things burritos, bowls, stacks, quesadillas, and tacos, and, of course, their world famous queso. The brand was founded in Atlanta in 2000 and is currently eyeing national growth both in and outside of its Southeastern U.S. footprint.
In order to boost that growth, Moe’s Southwest Grill recently announced the commencement of a cash back incentive at opening. “For multi-unit development starting at three plus new commitments, we are going to give cash back incentives of up to $100,000 per location,” says Brian Krause, chief development officer for Focus Brands, parent company of Moe’s Southwest Grill.
This incentive will be a direct contribution—a check given to the franchisee—meaning franchisees will not have to wait for discounts that will trickle to them over time. Moe’s Southwest Grill believes that this will allow franchisees to recoup some of their initial investment at opening so that they can use it to drive growth in their portfolio.
Moe’s Southwest Grill’s distinct image emanates from “fresh, high-quality, southwestern-inspired food,” says Krause. With its wide variety of menu options, the brand draws a wide range of loyal and frequent guests.
Additionally, Krause highlights the warm culture built in at the store level that creates a welcoming environment. With a list of 20 ingredients that make up the entire menu, Moe’s Southwest Grill is easy to operate and manage. Most importantly, it also makes owning a Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurant a potentially profitable endeavor—the brand boasts AUVs north of $1 million at its traditional locations.
“Traditional locations are going to be Moe’s Southwest Grill’s largest opportunities for growth,” Krause says. “We are looking for the right market, the right location, with the right format, and of course the right operator: a franchisee who is passionate about the brand, who is going to be able to deliver that experience to consumers in that community.” Alongside traditional locations, the brand is also open to growing with the right franchisees operating in non-traditional spaces.
In its effort to improve brand operations, Moe’s Southwest Grill has focused on efficiencies across its footprint. “We have cleaned up and streamlined everything,” Krause says. The brand has evolved its prototype by emphasizing the importance of catering, third- or first-party delivery and frictionless transactions.
“With the re-design and evolution of prototypes, coupled with the fact that operations are still simple, Moe’s Southwest Grill is starting to turn the corner with sales and AUV growth,” Krause says. “New stores are doing tremendous for us, and we have an excited franchisee base.”
As they look to rapidly expand, Moe’s Southwest Grill is looking for franchisees who have “experience running a business and leading teams,” as Brian puts it. They would like to work with passionate leaders, innovative thinkers, and people who are growth minded and love managing teams and playing a key role in their communities.
For more, visit the Moe’s Southwest Grill franchising page.
By Dikshant Uprety
